The Other Side
by SMicaela
Summary: What if Bella and the Cullens left Forks before Renesmee was born? What is Jacob and Leah married each other, out of fear of being lonely the rest of their lives, and started a family together. What will happen when the Cullens return?
1. Prologue

The day Bella left me has always been permanently etched into my memory. The filthy bloodsucker impregnated her with another parasite, and the entire family fled Forks without a trace. I first considered suicide, but knew that I would get nowhere with it. Billy would most likely become depressed, and it would only allow me to stare at Bella—wherever she was—living her happy, pleasant life without me. After a year passed and she never returned, wrote, nor called me, I gave up hope on her return, and attempted to concentrate on school. I graduated, and still living at home, tried to focus solely on the pack. When I was twenty-one, and still lonely, Leah came to me and proposed an idea; an idea which would change both of our very lives as we know them

I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I was laying face down on the couch, sulking in my self misery and depression over Bella. I seemed to have relapsed; I had gone almost one year without so much as thinking about her, but Sam and Emily ruined it.

Sam and Emily finally got married, and had their first child, a baby girl. They named her Isabelle, in honor of Leah's grandmother. I exploded. Literally, into my wolf form. How _dare_ he have the _audacity_ to name her that! One letter away from Isabella. I had myself convinced that he intentionally did it, and that he was _trying_ to drive me insane. I nearly ripped out his throat.

Leah calmed me down enough and brought me back into the house. Normally, I wouldn't have allowed her to touch me; Leah and I never had gotten along, and we practically loathed each other. Recently, however, she seems to have become more… humane…and less sarcastic.

"Jake, stop. Look at me. Everything is going to be fine just breathe." She had her hands on my shoulders and was staring me straight in the eyes.

"Why do _you_ care, Leah? No one here cares about me; I might as well just feed myself to a bloodsucker. I thought I was going to be okay, but I'm not. Sam has driven me over the edge."

"I doubt he did it on purpose. He wasn't thinking."

"Leah, he knew what he was doing. He is the one who found her in the forest for God's sake. HE KNEW HOW CLOSE THEIR NAMES ARE!" I roared.

"Jake, STOP!" Her voice was full of authority, and I shut up. I continued to glare at her, however.

"Look, there's something I've been needing to talk to you about." She confessed, pulling up a chair and sitting across from me. We were in my tiny bedroom, and both of us barely fit into it.

"In case you haven't noticed, now is not the best time."

"I don't want to wait any longer. I've been thinking about this for over a year, Jake, and I have to tell you. Now."

I hesitated a moment, and stared at her. Leah and I had never once—really—had a heart-to-heart conversation. The most we have talked was when discussing hunting tactics, and even then we rarely agreed on anything.

"Fine…"

"Jake… I want… I want you to marry me." I expected her to look at the floor and blush, but she stared right at me; her eyes boring into mine. It was intimidating.

"Ha, you're funny, Lee. Now c'mon, really, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm not joking, Jake. Too many years have we both been alone, rejected and thrown aside from the people we loved, and had once loved us back. Neither of us has imprinted, and we are  
already twenty-one. I am not going to die alone, Jake, and neither is my bloodline. Neither of us has much of a choice. Rachel doesn't carry the gene, and if you want to keep the wolf pack alive, then this is the only way."

She was right. I had no other way to keep my bloodline alive, and I couldn't wait any longer to find out what might happen if I waited. The answer was sitting before me, and I knew I couldn't say no. I swallowed the lump in my throat  
before replying with,

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2: Conflict

**Chapter Two**

Word of our engagement spread like wildfire in California; however, it was my fault that everyone found out. Not long after the "decision" was made, I had an intense desire to go on a run—a _real _run. Hence I phased and tore off into the thicket of the woods that surrounded my house. The familiar buzzing voices of the pack filled my mind, and soon people were shouting at me.

_Jake, are you _kidding_ me?_ Jared's voice rang like an alarm in my head. Oops.

_Don't you _dare_ phase on me, Jake._ Jared warned, seconds after the thought crossed my mind. _You owe me an answer. _Regardless if he was right or not—which he was—I contemplated whether I was going to phase or not. It wouldn't do much good if I did, though. I sighed—well, snorted, rather, being in wolf form—and frowned.

_Yes, it's true. Do you have a problem with it?_

_LEAH? Jake, you've _got_ to be kidding me! She's a bitch! She's a cynical, know-it-all, sarcastic, stuck up—_

_ENOUGH! _I interrupted him, and he shut up. Although I wasn't the alpha, I was the beta, and still had somewhat of an authority over the other pack members.

_Jake, that's disgusting. I can't believe you'd stoop that low…I mean, I know you miss Bella and all, but that's just pure _desperation! Paul's voice chimed in my head. He was clearly revolted.

_Screw you, Paul. You think you ever deserve to be with my sister? Well here's new for you, pal. If I didn't love Rachel and care as much about her happiness as I do, I would have done _anything _and _everything in my power_ to make sure that the two of you didn't get together. So you can take your opinion and shove it up your ass. _I spat, and despite being at least thirty miles away, my lips curled back over my teeth, bearing my razor-sharp fangs.

_YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HAPPINESS, JAKE? DO YOU KNOW HOW PATHETIC AND WORTHLESS YOU WERE TO THE PACK WHEN BELLA FIRST LEFT? _EVERYTIME _YOU PHASED, ALL WE HAD TO LISTEN TO WAS 'OH, BELLA THIS, BELLA THAT.' YOU ARE THE MOST WRETCHED PIECE OF—_

Then I phased back, butting him off. I knew he would be livid; knowing Paul, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come after me to start a fight. He was like a child, really; a hot-headed infant who has multiple tantrums during the week. That is what made him such a reckless fighter, especially when he was angry; he lead with his emotions rather than his head.

That's when it struck me; why was I being so defensive? It's not like Leah and I are seriously _in love. _This whole concept of us as an _item_ was still relatively fresh in my mind—literally a day old—and I was reacting to their preconceptions as if she were actually my…my _fiancé. _For God's sake, I haven't even bought her an engagement ring! What on earth is going on with me?

I just insulted my best friend, my brother, and caused tension among the pack for no reason at all. All I had to do was let their comments roll of my back and ignore them, but no. I had to open my stupid mouth.

Or was I not overreacting at all? Could I really have feelings for Leah? I hadn't ever thought of her that way. Hell, there wasn't _time_ for me to think of her that way. I had been completely and totally consumed with Bella while she was here, and even when she _wasn't _here. I was an obsessed, love-struck puppy, and I was her crutch and doormat. In my defense, Leah didn't make any effort to appear attractive to me at all. Granted, she was absolutely gorgeous. But that's not the type of attractiveness I am talking about. She was always grumpy, bossy, and overly sarcastic, _especially_ at the wrong time. She would always say something about Bella, and it would make my blood boil, which made me resent her more than I had the day before.

But was she reacting out of jealousy? Leah always hated Bella, and I had always thought that Leah did not have a concrete reason to hate her. Sure, Bella put the entire pack and towns of La Push and Forks in jeopardy multiple times, but never had she directly done anything to Leah. Oh my God. Leah was jealous of Bella…because I was in love with Bella… when really; Leah has been in love with _me_ this entire time.

This made perfect sense, because Leah always beat me up and tore me down. She flirted like a kindergartener, always challenging me to races, punching and hitting me when I pissed her off, etc. She's been hiding these feelings under a mask this entire time, and I was too blind to see this until now.

Could I learn to love Leah? Learn to cherish every moment I spent with her? Yearn to be by her side when we were apart, and miss her every waking moment that she is not beside me? With the old Leah, this was impossible. However, Leah has shown me an entirely new side that she has not shown me before. She is… tamer, softer, and more kind. She is sensitive, and really listens to you when you talk to her.

Could I fall in love with Leah? I guess it's time to find out.

I didn't phase for another two weeks after my argument with Paul, and I avoided everyone in order to remove all chances of being ambushed. Leah came over almost every day, and I knew Billy was suspicious about something going on between the two of us. We had both promised each other that we wouldn't break the news to our parents until we had a ring, and until we were ready.

Thanks to my stupidity, however, we knew it was a just a matter of time before one of the guys said something to our parents, and then we would have no choice but to tell. Additionally, my doubt about falling in love with her seemed to dissolve each day I spent with her.

I knew I wasn't in love, but I had developed some sort of feelings for her. A crush perhaps. She had this laugh that lit up her entire face, and made my stomach tingle. She would throw her head back, her black hair swishing behind her, and sometimes even clap her hands together. I would catch myself staring at her face, lost in her beauty, and swiftly move my eyes elsewhere if she caught me. She would smile then, and ask me what I was staring at. I would then smile and say, "Nothing," and she would blush and return to whatever she was doing.

That was, of course, only after the first week.

During week two, I felt empty and lost when she wasn't with me. She brought in a wave of joy when I was around her, and it seemed to extinguish mere minutes after she left. She was like my own personal sun. I wanted to be with her every waking moment of the day, even if it was just sitting in my living room, watching the T.V.

I could feel myself slowly, and surely, falling in love. Falling for the one girl I never would have thought of that way, and falling _hard_. I was irrevocably in love with her, and there was no turning back.

It has been three weeks since Leah and I have been engaged, and it's time for us to pick out a ring. I picked her up from her house in the Rabbit, and drove her to Jared's. Her hair was down—as usual—and since I still had not yet installed the air conditioning, we rode with the windows rolled down. Her hair was black like a raven, and it billowed and whipped around her as the breeze blew through the windows. If Aphrodite were real, I was sure that she would look just like Leah.

We arrived at Jared's soon after, and before we walked through the doors, Leah made it very clear that I would _not_ be spending a lot of money on this ring. What she didn't know, was that I would be coming back here before dinner tonight, to get her the _real _ring. You see, I've been saving up since I was fifteen—all my work money—for this very occasion. I wanted my fiancé to have the best ring in the store, and Leah would get just that.

"Jake, we are setting a limit on the ring. Actually, no; _I'm _setting the limit. You have to promise me _right now_ that you will not pay over five thousand." Her arms were crossed, and her eyes were narrowed, daring me to argue.

"_Five_ thousand… Leah that buys you the band. Come on, let's be _reasonable_ here. Seven thousand."

"Six,"

"Eight,"

"Fifty-five hundred; say any further, and it goes down even farther." She ended the discussion and entered Jared's, leaving me standing outside. I love it when she does that; it's really quite alluring.

Leah and I were looking for almost two hours when she finally found the one she wanted. It was only four thousand, and was a silver band entirely encrusted in diamonds. I, on the other hand, had already found the _real_ ring that I would buy her. It was—unsurprisingly—one of the most expensive rings in the store, and it was the first ring that caught her eyes. She explained that she didn't want it, but I could see in her eyes that she was in love with it, and I knew that was the ring I would come back and buy for her.

We left the store at three o'clock, with three hours until we were due to appear for dinner at Leah's. When I dropped her off at her house, she kissed me on the cheek, thanking me for the ring, and got out of the car, strutting back to her house with enough grace to make a ballerina cry.

I idled there in her driveway, dumbstruck by her kiss, before I realized that time was ticking, and I still had to get ready, help Billy make his famous spaghetti, _and_ get the real ring. With my cheek still tingling from her touch, I peeled out of her driveway and sped back to the jewelry store.

Six o'clock finally rolled around, and I was more than eager to get to Leah's for dinner. Seth—being a part of the pack—was beside himself with glee and excitement, for tonight was the night we would announce the news to Billy and Sue. Leah had to threaten Seth so he wouldn't open his mouth; and when Leah is angry, that's one storm you _don't_ want to be in the way of.

My heart jumped into my throat when we arrived at her house, and my nerves began to kick in. As I helped Billy out of the car, I was so shaky that I nearly dropped the spaghetti sauce. He shook his head, rolling his eyes—probably thought Bella rubbed off on me—and rolled toward the house.

Sue answered the door, and she threw herself at me, kissing both of my cheeks before doing the same to Billy. I had always been like a second son to Sue. She was such a sweet woman.

"Oh, it's been too long, Billy!" She enthused,

"Ah, I agree, Sue. I've missed that good cooking of yours." Billy chuckled.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Come in!" She then took the spaghetti from us, and lead us to the kitchen.

"I hope you two don't mind, but Charlie is joining us for dinner." Sue's voice echoed from the kitchen. Charlie—I hadn't seen him in awhile. It would be nice to see Bella's dad again. I was hoping it wouldn't be awkward, however, considering that Charlie had always wanted Bella and I to get together. And considering the news that was going to be delivered tonight, I did not know whether his hopes would be crushed or not. Leah appeared then; she was dressed up. Her hair was curled, little ringlets bouncing around her face as she walked, and she was wearing a _skirt_. I couldn't help myself, and my eyes trailed down her legs. They were muscular, lean, and tan from running.

I caught myself then, and knew she would probably sock me in the face had she caught me. She was wearing a navy blue bubble skirt, with an asymmetrical, white, scoop neck shirt. It was accented with a flower on her left shoulder. She had on three inch gladiator heels, so her head was even with my shoulder instead of my chest. Leah wasn't short—I was abnormally tall, reading six foot six—but I loved the fact that she was short enough for me to bow my head, resting it against hers. Needless to say, she was devastatingly gorgeous. Billy and Charlie had followed Sue into the kitchen, and it was just Leah and me, now.

"Hey," she smiled, walking toward me. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor like a melody.

"Hey. You look nice," I had _never, ever_, seen Leah in more than basketball shorts and a tee shirt; it had to be that way, however, since we were always phasing.

"Thanks, you don't look to shabby yourself." She straightened the collar on my shirt, and I could feel my skin burning—yearning for her hand to brush up against me.

"Ha, thanks. I wonder if the parents… suspect anything." I mused out loud.

"I don't think so… but there is only one way to find out." With that being said, she led the way toward the kitchen for dinner to begin.

Dinner went smoothly, as according to plans, and we were now waiting for the pack to arrive so we could reveal the news to Sue and Billy. Although many of them were still furious with me—Jared, Paul, Sam, and Collin—Quil, Embry, and Seth were on our side. Leah was in the kitchen doing the dishes, and I would have helped her, had Sue not insisted that I have a conversation with her

She was in the process of explaining to me how she spent her last few days crocheting, when Quil, Embry, Paul and Jared arrived. They were not fighting among themselves, which was good, I guess, but Sam was one who was most upset about the situation. In all honesty, I think he still has feelings for Leah. Obviously not love, but it almost feels like that middle school, I-dated-her-so-no-one-else-is-allowed-to attitude.

Sue freed me, and went into the kitchen to assist Leah, leaving the pack and me in the living room, alone.

"Jake, my man," Quil hugged me, and Embry followed, patting me on the back. Jared and Paul stayed by the door, looking everywhere but at me. I had a feeling that they were not completely against Leah and I getting married; I felt as if they were acting this way more out of loyalty to Sam.

I was about to say hello to them when Sam himself walked through the threshold. The air in the room tensed, and I could feel his eyes as they glared at me.

"Hello, _Jacob_."

"Sam," I nodded my head, acknowledging him before plopping down on the sofa. Sue returned then, hugging each of the members before rushing back out to retrieve Charlie, Billy, Seth, and Leah. The Pack, Sue, Billy, and Charlie believed that we were here for a tribal meeting. Only Seth, Leah, and I knew what was really going to happen—we _were_ the ones who called the meeting, of course.

They were under the impression that Seth had picked up a fresh bloodsucker's trail, and we were going to discuss how we were going to handle it.

"Leah, hurry up, sweetheart. The dishes can wait!" Sue called when she returned to the room with Billy and Charlie in tow.

"Okay, Mom, just give me a second." We heard a few pots and pans clanking around in the kitchen before her quick _click, click, click_'s from her shoes sounded her arrival. I stood when she entered, and she came to my side. Everyone's eyes were on us, confused expressions painted across each and every one of them.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat, "I know many of you are under the impression that we are here for a tribal meeting, but that's not why we are gathered here. We wanted you all to hear this." I looked at Leah, and she nodded for me to continue. "Long story short, Leah and I are getting married." Sue gasped, Billy's eyebrows raised, and Charlie smiled. Sam stiffened in his seat, but Sue's cheers and tears stole the spotlight.

"Oh, Leah, my little girl is getting married!" She squealed, bursting up from her seat and barreling into the two of us. She hugged me, kissed Leah, and was crying tears of joy. It took her a few moments to regain her composure, and when she did, she took her seat again.

"But, I want to do this the right way," I continued before turning to Leah. Her eyes widened—we had not planned this part—as I knelt down on me left knee, taking her hands in mine. "Leah Abigail Clearwater, will you marry me?" I pulled the velvet box from my pocket then, and revealed her engagement ring—all eighteen thousand dollars worth of it. She gasped, and had the ring not been so beautiful, I was sure she would have slapped me. Her eyes glazed over as I slid the ring onto her finger, and the three diamonds glistened in the light.

"Jake," was all she whispered as she gazed at the ring, and I swore I saw a tear streak down her cheek before she was in my arms. Some of the guys began cheering and clapping, and Sue was crying all over again, soaking Charlie's shirt. Leah pulled away from me then—seeming to remember that we were in the presence of others, and she was grinning from ear to ear.

Now, some of you may be wondering—how could I spend money like that without regretting and missing it? How could I spend money in the blink of an eye on something that seemed so insignificant in the whole grand scheme of things? The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is that I am in love.

After everyone went home, Leah and I went for a walk through the woods.

"Sure, sounds great; let me change real fast." She replied, before disappearing into her bedroom. When she returned, she was wearing a simple, above-the-knee, white sun dress. Her feet were bare, and with that, we took off into the forest. For awhile, the only sound was our feet crunching against the gravel and rocks. About a mile into the forest, she stopped walking.

"Why did you ask me out here, Jake?" Her head was slightly cocked to the side as she said these words.

"I wanted some time with you, alone." I admitted, and I could feel my cheeks flushing, despite the darkness. She smiled then.

"Why did you buy me that ring?" Her eyes narrowed slightly as she remembered this.

"Because I knew you wanted it; and it's the ring that any fiancé deserves."

"But why did you spend _so much money_ on it? I know how much it cost, remember?"

"Because, Leah," I whispered, taking a step toward her. I cupped her face in my hands, and continued, "I love you." And before she could respond, I pressed her lips to mine.


	3. Chapter 3: PreWedding

**Chapter Three**

The next two weeks were spent planning the wedding. Leah chose our honeymoon destination to be _Fiji. _I'd never been out of the country—let alone Washington—and Leah was definitely planning big. We had decided on having a small wedding on the local beach, with only close friends and family present. And since we were having a small wedding, we chose to indulge for the honeymoon. We would be married in a white pavilion, decorated with Leah's favorite flowers—Lotuses. She chose to decorate an arch which we would stand under to say our vows in vibrant red flowers, and her bouquet would be white Calla Lilies. A trail of red roses would make her aisle, and Clare would be the flower girl, sprinkling the floor with the petals of dark pink carnations.

Because of the unfortunate passing of her father Harry, Seth would be giving Leah away, and he would also be the best man. Seth had demonstrated the most loyalty to me as a friend and a pack member; hence I believed he deserved the honor more than anyone I knew. The whole Pack would be invited and included in the wedding—yes, even bitter Sam—and the maid of honor is going to be Emily.

This struck me as strange; Emily basically stole Sam's heart, which left Leah in a depressed and hysterical state. She never had completely gotten over Sam, until now it seemed. It would make sense for Leah to hate Emily, yet she is the maid of honor in the wedding.

"Leah,"

"Mhm?" She looked up from the computer screen, on which she was searching for our first home.

"Why is Emily the maid of honor? I thought you would, I don't know, despise her." She smiled before replying.

"Emily and I have gotten close these past few months; until recently, I was finally able to _let go_ of the… hatred I felt toward her. There was honestly _nothing _she could have done to prevent what happened. As much as I want to hate Sam and despise him for abandoning me like that, I can't. I can't hate him when I know that I would never understand. I can't understand the… _need_ and love he feels for Emily. Without her, Sam might as well die. That's what I see when I look at the two of them together. Sam chose Emily, and there was not much she could do about it. Their paths have always been woven together as one. Ours just weren't." And for once, I did not see any trace of bitterness in Leah's eyes when she said Emily's name. She seemed to finally be at peace with herself and this situation, and I admired her for that.

"You're amazing. I doubt I would have _ever_ been able to be like that with… with _Edward_." His name still tasted like bile on the tip of my tongue, and Leah flinched a bit as memories of Bella no doubt flooded her mind. "Besides… my feelings for her would have been extinguished if they stayed here anyways, because I still would be where I am today: in love with _you. _I know that you may not believe that, seeing as how I was _obsessed_ with her, but I can feel it. I know that it's true."

She smiled then, seemingly content with my answer, and lightly kissed my cheek before turning her attention back to the computer screen.

"I found an apartment in Seattle we could move into. It's right on campus, and rent is only six hundred a month."

"_Only six hundred! _Leah, you've got to be joking; that's not cheap!"

"Babe, this is _on campus_ and in _Seattle _. I didn't say it was going to be inexpensive, but considering the prices of other apartments, this is cheap."

"We don't have to go to college in Seattle, you know that, right?"

"But I would like to. It's probably one of the best colleges in Washington."

"Who said we had to go to college here?"

"I'd like to stay close to family, Jake."

"Why don't we keep looking?"

I could tell she was frustrated with me, but she seemed to agree with me, and continued looking after heaving a deep sigh. She continued searching for about two hours—I had fallen asleep—before she woke me up with more news.

"I found the _perfect_ place, Jake. We can go to college at Peninsula College, and we can stay off campus, and rent is _as low as _three hundred a month! And we aren't even on campus. We have got to move in there."

I yawned groggily, and used my fists to rub my eyes. Honestly, I didn't care which college we went to, and as long as Leah was happy, I was happy.

"Sounds good, babe." I yawned closing my eyes again.

"You're so laid back, you know that?" She said, closing the laptop and laying on top of my chest, resting her chin on my heart.

"I've heard that a couple of times."

"Well it's true." She murmured. We lay like that for a few minutes, soaking in each other's company. When I looked back down at her, her eyes were peacefully closed. I knew the rush of wedding plans was taking its toll on her—along with the negative storm of energy brewing within the pack—and it exhausted her. She was breathing evenly and deeply, and I merely wrapped my arms around her before closing my eyes as well.

"Goodnight, Leah love." I murmured.

The next morning, we went over to Leah's to discuss some of the wedding plans with Sue. She was ecstatic that Seth would not only give Leah away, but be the best man. Leah was jubilant about the approaching date (March 30th) and was furiously scribbling notes onto a piece of paper with wedding plans. While she and Sue took care of business, Seth and I went into the yard and wrestled for three hours before being called back in for dinner.

It basically took every ounce of my self control to keep my hands off of Leah during dinner. She had on short, white shorts, and a baby blue tank top. I could feel my eyes feasting on her, and I quickly forced myself to advert my eyes during dinner. While we ate, however, she allowed me to place my left hand on her upper thigh, and I could sense her arousal in the air. When Sue disappeared into the kitchen to prepare dessert, we both excused ourselves and retreated to her bedroom where we made out like teenagers before returning. My hair was tousled, and Seth looked revolted—Sue, thankfully, didn't notice. Bless her heart.

After dinner, Seth, Leah and I took off into the woods for a pack meeting. We were the last to arrive, and Sam was _more_ than displeased.

_You're late._ His growled acidly.

_We were having dinner, _Sam. Leah's voice was full of icicles, and a few of the pack member's flinched at her hostility.

_You were obviously doing a little more than eating, _Paul chimed in, referring to our memories of Leah's bedroom, and the rest of the pack snickered.

_That's an invasion of privacy! _Leah growled, baring her teeth as a snarl rippled through her chest.

_Oh shut up; it's not like you aren't used to it by now. _Paul snapped.

_Don't you talk to her that way,_ I roared, my lips curling back and revealing my canines.

_Enough,_ Sam ordered, and everything was once again calm. _Now, we are going to focus on the subject at hand. Jake, Leah, I'm sure the two of you have figured out by now that this meeting was not called to order to _really_ discuss pack tactics, et cetera… The pack and I agree that the two of you should not get married._

_Hey now, since when did _I_ agree to this? _Seth interjected.

_Yea, I never agreed to this either,_ Collin added.

_That makes three of us…_ Jared said.

_Well, the majority of the pack and I believe that the two of you are making a mistake._ Sam continued.

_Okay, two things. One, that's _half_ of the pack; half wants us to get married, and half don't. Two, when the hell was this _your _business anyways? Yea, Jake and I seem to be… rushing into things a little bit, but I love him and he loves me. Would you all seriously want to come between something like that? If that's the case, then you all aren't good friends, _at all.Leah replied. I winked at her, and nodded my head in agreement.

_I never said it was my business, Leah. But considering that we're a family, we felt that this decision should be made as a pack. A group. We are only voicing our opinions, and what we think is best for the both of you. _Sam replied defensively.

That is the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard, Sam. You are clearly against Leah and me getting married for your own selfish reasons. What those reasons are, I don't know, but this is not for the pack's benefit. If you even gave a damn about me and Leah, then you would want us to be happy for once in our lives. It's because of you that Leah has been upset all this time. It's because of Bella that I've been miserable at best. Now that Leah and I are finally happy, you're saying you want that to end? I don't think so, Sam. This is not your decision.

I am not going to sit here and let Sam talk like he's self-righteous. Leah and I are getting married. Case closed.

When you grow up a little bit, we'll talk again. I added curtly. With that being said, Leah and I left the meeting.

After the meeting with the pack, Leah and I went for a run through Canada. As always, I let her win; I suspected that she knew I was letting her win, but she accepted the victory nevertheless. After we phased back to our normal selves, we cuddled under the stars in an empty meadow. In the morning, we took a walk on the beach as the sun rose and collected sea shells. The smell of brine and salt swirled around Leah, blanketing her hair in its scent.

We then headed back to her house for breakfast, which her mom was setting on the table when we walked through the door.

"There you two are! I made your favorite, Jake; blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, and bacon." She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges and exited back to the kitchen just as Charlie walked down the stairs—hair sticking up every which way. I raised my eyebrows, and he grinned and gave me thumbs up before sitting down at the table and picking up the newspaper.

Breakfast was relatively pleasant, and afterward we headed back to my house to visit with Billy. He was already up, watching football on the television when we walked in. His entire face illuminated when he saw Leah, and she pecked him on the cheek.

"Hi Billy, how're you doing?" She asked cheerfully, plopping onto the sofa next to his chair. He grunted a hello and proceeded to fill her in on how his day was going, and how he was disappointed in how the game was going. All the while, I stood in the threshold, marveling at Leah's beauty as it radiated from her.

Her long, midnight black hair reached her mid back, and she looked like an angel in her all-white dress. Her smile melted my heart into my ribs, and her laughter was a symphony to my ears. How was I so lucky? Was I this deserving?

That's just the thing—I wasn't.

"Jake, are you going to sit down?" Her voice brought me out of my reverie, and I nodded, swiftly closing the distance between the two of us, taking a seat next to her. Naturally, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into me, sighing and closing her eyes. Billy's attention was now completely on the game, so we had some sense of privacy.

It really took all of my self control not to pounce on Leah right then and there, but I restrained myself. Billy would most likely be scarred for life if he had to witness me making love to Leah. Not that I planned to—not until we were married of course,—but that doesn't mean I still don't fantasize…

"Well, Billy, we won't intrude any longer. C'mon, Jake, I'm heading over to Emily's. She's helping me discuss and arrange the wedding plans." She stood from the couch, straightened the skirt on her dress, and extended her hand to me. I blinked a couple of times, processing what she said, and slowly rose from the couch, intertwining her fingers with mine. And with that, we exited the house, with everything right in the world at last.

It was the day before the wedding, and as usual, Leah and I were walking to Emily's.

"Leah, since when are you and Emily good friends?" I asked as we walked hand-in-hand toward Emily's cottage. They had spent the past three days together at Emily's, and it never hit me until now that their friendship didn't make sense.

"Awhile, I guess. It didn't make sense for me to _not_ like her, considering what happened was completely out of her control. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore. Sam means nothing to me." She replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I guess that makes sense. I just thought girls were… I don't know, super sensitive about that kind of things? You guys seem to hold grudges easily."

"Well, most girls do. They get wrapped up in the situation, following their emotional instincts rather than looking at it from a logical point of view. In situations like these, the other girl always gets blamed, and the guy gets off unscathed. When in reality, it's faults on both parties."

Wow, Leah had so much grace… Something I wish more women had. We were approaching Emily's house now, and I was silently hoping the Sam wouldn't be there. Although things between Emily and Leah were okay, Sam was still being a jerk, and I really did not want him in my presence. Nevertheless, I would try my best to behave for Leah's sake.

Once inside, Emily and Leah disappeared into the living room, and were talking in hushed tones, giggling every now and then. I made myself at home—in the kitchen, of course. Emily always made the most delicious dishes, and my head was inside the refrigerator, rummaging through her stash of muffins when a husky voice spoke.

"Hey, those are my muffins." Sam's voice came from behind me. I jumped, hitting my head on the top of the fridge before I pulled my head out. I spun around, rubbing my head.

"Too bad." I smirked, taking an enormous bite out of the moist muffin, sending crumbs raining to the floor. At first, Sam's face was blank, but slowly, a smile spread across his face, and he chuckled, snatching the other muffin from my hand and devouring it alongside me.

Leah appeared in the threshold a few moments later, her left eyebrow raised. "So did you guys kiss and make out?" She teased, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. She rested her chin on my chest, and grinned, flashing me the smile that drives my hormones insane.

"Yes. Sam decided to stop being a prick," I playfully punched him in the shoulder, and a small smile played across his lips before me simply nodded. Satisfied, Leah pecked me on the cheek and disappeared out the door, back to Emily. I could feel my cheek was on fire, and there was a buzzing in the pit of my stomach.

"Man, you really love her, don't you?"

"Can you tell?" I was a bit self conscience now.

"You're blushing like a school girl." He snickered, turning back to the refrigerator.

"Asshole," I mumbled my face still hot.

That night, before I walked Leah home, we went to the beach for a swim. The beach had always been Leah's favorite place—besides the forest—and I wanted make our last night as fiancés special. The wedding was less than twenty-four hours away now, and I can't say that I'm nervous, nor am I getting cold feet.

I have been waiting for this moment my whole life, and now that it is here, I don't ever want to turn back. I haven't been more attracted to Leah in my life, and tonight, my limits are definitely being tested. I had seen Leah naked plenty of times before, yet although I had my back turned, it took all of my self-control not to spin around, allowing my eyes to feast on her body. I closed my eyes and concentrated on something else—like the fact that I would be a married man tomorrow. I wouldn't be little Jacob Black anymore; I would be a true man.. Leah would be mine forever.

"Hey wolf boy, you aren't going to make me wait forever, are you?" Her voice was playful, and I felt her hand on my shoulder, and a smile spread across my face. I turned around then, and scooped her up in my arms, her legs dangling over my left arm. She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck, throwing back her head as a few giggles escaped her lips.

I quickly waded into the chilly waters, yet it felt good against my hot skin. I gently set her down in the water, and held her in my arms, her head on my chest. This was a picture perfect moment, and I wished more than anything to just spend the night like this with her in my arms.

"I love you," I murmured against her hair.

"I love you too," she replied.

We kissed then, under the twinkling twilight, and I knew that nothing could ever go wrong again, as long as she was in my arms.


	4. Chapter 4: The Wedding

**A/N/ you guys have no idea how psyched I am that you are enjoying the story! I know a few of you would like to have Edward and Bella return, and I promise you that they will be back into the story later. Now without furtherado, here is the wedding of Leah and Jake. I hope you enjoy it as much as I liked writing it!**

I woke up the next morning to the sound of Sam and Paul bursting through my bedroom door. This startled me awake, and I fell off my bed, smacking my head on the hardwood floor.

"Thanks, assholes." I grumbled as I got to my feet, rubbing my temples.

"Aw, Jakey, don't be mad; it's your wedding day!" Paul chimed, putting me in a headlock and giving me a noogie. I punched him in the stomach and shook out my hair before grinning at the both of them. I hadn't been happier in my life. I could feel both of their eyes on me, and I could see the sadness in Paul's eyes—he had been begging Rachel to marry him for the past year and a half, but she is still persistent about graduating college before she settles down. She loves him—he knows that—but I can see that it's killing him inside to have already witnessed his two best friends marry.

"You look so happy, man. I'm really glad you're finally happy."

"I feel complete. I finally knew what I was missing all along; I kept chasing after something that was never mine, and all I did was go farther and farther away from the precious love that had been there for me all along. Thank God Bella left; my eyes wouldn't have opened had she not."And as I said those words, for the first time in my life, my stomach didn't ache when I said her name, nor did my heart sink at the sound of it, knowing she would never be mine. Now, when I so much as think about the name Leah, my heart accelerates, and my stomach begins to buzz, my heart melting into my ribs

"Man, Jake, that's pretty deep."

"I know it may sound hokey, but I love her. I can't live without her."

"Did you imprint? Jake, how could you not have told us?" Sam's brow was furrowed, and I saw a frown on his face.

"No… unfortunately not… but I know that there's no one I would rather be with than Leah. Nobody—no stranger—would change that." I saw the doubt in Sam's eyes—he most likely felt the same way about Leah before he met Emily—but I know I'm different. I know I won't ever leave her, as long as I live. She is my life, my purpose. Without her, I am nothing. My life has neither meaning nor value.

Needless to say, I am ready.

The wedding was set to begin at three o'clock sharp, and it is now four thirty. Nearly all the guests have arrived, and I am nearly about to burst from my skin as the anticipation and excitement flow through my veins. Sam is holding onto one of my arms, with Jared on my other side, gently patting me on the back.

"Relax, man. You can do this; you've been waiting for this all your life. Everything is going to be fine."

"But what if I forget what to say? What if I screw up my vows?" I had been replying in my head my vows over and over again, nearly saying them in my sleep. Paul had almost shoved his tie down my throat, because he claims that he himself has my vows memorized, verbatim.

"You won't. I thought I would forget my vows, but when the moment came, with Emily standing before me, it was as if it was never a struggle at all. My vows were perfect; exactly as I had written them." Sam reassured me.

I sure hoped he was right.

Two forty five. All the guests have taken their seats, as well as the bride's maids and their dates, and Emily, the maid of honor. Our Priest, Harold, one of Billy's fishing buddies, if perched at the altar with me. The wedding is everything Leah seemed to have pictured. Row after row of white chairs are covered in a canopy of white twinkling lights, with a snaked trail of red rose petals weaving a way for Leah's aisle. It ends at a white pavilion, in which we would be married in.

Sam catches my eye and gives me thumbs up, while Jared signals for me to take a deep breath. I merely nod my head, acknowledging their gestures, and close my eyes, praying for everything to go as planned.

When "The Wedding March" began playing from the organ—Collin's mom—my heart nearly stopped. I heard hushed gasps from the crowd as Leah made her way down the aisle—her right arm hooked with Seth's. She looked painfully beautiful. Although she had her veil on, it was as if I could see straight through it. Her hair was in soft, bouncy ringlets. Her makeup was subtle, yet just enough to accent the perfect way her eyelashes fan out around her chocolate brown, doe eyes. Her earrings are diamonds, dangling down to almost her shoulder, and her dress accented her figure in just the right way… I thought I was going to have a heart attack at the altar.

In addition to her veil, she wore a diamond encrusted headband, along with a heart necklace. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever lay eyes on, and she was all mine. I side-glanced at Sam, and his eyes were about to bulge from his skull—as were all the other bride's maid's dates. I suppose they never saw Leah and her true beauty before.

As they approached the pavilion, Leah took her steps one at a time; precisely placing both feet on each marble step before ascending the next four steps to the altar. Seth winked at me as they stood in front of us, and Harold cleared his throat before beginning the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together on this beautiful afternoon, in the presence of God, to share with Leah and Jacob as they exchange vows of their everlasting love. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her Mother and I" replies Seth, and he places Leah's hand in mine and takes his place next to me. Leah gently squeezes my hand, and winks at me through her veil before turning to face Harold. I intertwine our fingers, take a deep breath, and do the same.

"As Leah and Jacob take their vows today, we are privileged to witness the joyous love of a new family—a family that will be nourished and nurtured through the devotion of two separate individuals growing together through the common bonds of love. May their marriage bring them the peace, joy, comfort and contentment that is known in the hearts of all God's children. And may Jacob and Leah both look forward to each new season of their marriage—just as the world looks forward to each new season of the year. For all seasons bring with them their own special moments and memories."

"An essential requirement of a good marriage is a strong bond of real friendship and trust. Leah and Jacob, your love for each other will grow deeper with every passing day, but it's important to remember that your love stands on a foundation of genuine, mutual affection and respect for each other. To truly love another person is to be willing to accept both their strong points, and their weak points, with equal measures of understanding and respect."

The vows you are about to exchange will serve as a verbal representation of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as anything that can be seen, heard, or touched; for it is not the words that you will speak today that will bond you together as one—but the strength of the love and commitment found deep within your souls.

"At this time, I'll ask you, Jacob, and you, Leah, to face each other and take each other's hands. Jacob, will you take Leah to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish her friendship and love her today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor her, laugh with her and cry with her? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I, Jacob, take you, Leah, to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever lie may bring us, and I promise to fall in love with you more than I did the day before. I will be yours in times of plenty, and in times of want; in tomes of sickness, and in times of health. In times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure, and in times of triumph. I promise to respect you, and to care and protect you; to comfort and encourage you, and to stay with you for eternity. I do." I whispered, sliding her wedding band into place.

"Leah, will you take Jacob to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish his friendship and love him today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor him, laugh with him and cry with him? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I Leah, take you Jacob, to be my partner in life—my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more with each coming day and I will trust you, respect you, laugh with you, and cry with you. I take you to be my constant friend, and my faithful partner from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family, and friends, I offer my solemn vow to love you faithfully, through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward, until death do us part. I do." She murmured, gently sliding the wedding band onto Leah's my left ring finger.

And together, in perfect unison, we both continued with, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more, if anything but death parts you from me."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

As the words I've been waiting to hear all my life were spoken, I gently lifted the veil from Leah's face, gently cupping her face in my hand. I bent down and pressed her lips to mine, sealing our lives together.

Leah and I decided to do things old fashion, and after we were married, we "ran" into a limo, and drove away. As far as Leah knows, we are on our way to Seattle, to take our flight to Fiji. However, I arranged to make a small stop on the way; Port Angeles. If I had the timing right, we would be arriving just as sunset began.

We are currently in the limo, and I have my arm around Leah as she rests her head on my chest. Her eyes are closed, and we sit in silence, with our fingers intertwined together.

"I love you," I murmur into her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, too, Jake." She whispers. And with that, she sighs and gently falls asleep into a soft slumber, in the protection of my arms.

When we finally reached the beach, I led Leah to the doc which stretched farthest into the sea, staring out into the sunset. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her, with her head on my shoulder. I kissed the crown of her head, and she sighed contently.

In time the glowing, cratered moon began its seeming rise from the sea, casting a prism of light across the slowly darkening water, splitting itself into a thousand different parts, each more beautiful than the last. At exactly the same moment, the sun was meeting the horizon in the opposite direction, turning the sky red and orange and yellow, as if heaven above had suddenly opened its gates and let all its beauty escape its holy confines. The ocean turned golden silver as the shifting colors reflected off it, waters rippling and sparkling with the changing light, the vision glorious, almost like the beginning of time. The sun continued to lower itself, casting its glow as far as the eye could see, before finally, slowly, vanishing beneath the waves. The moon continued its slow drift upward, shimmering as it turned a thousand different shades of yellow, each paler than the last, before finally becoming the color of the stars. Leah watched all this in silence, my arm tight around her. As the sky was finally turning to black and the first twinkling lights began to appear in the distant southern sky, I took her in my arms. I gently kissed both her eyelids, the tip of her nose, and then, finally, her lips.

Being with Leah made me realize what love truly is. Love is every emotion, tangled together and woven into a delicate web, beautiful and complicated…a web so fragile that it can be brushed away by a stroke of the hand, and yet so strong, that once it has you trapped in it, you will become more and more tangled in it. Some people may not even see the web as they go through their garden of life; some may fly into it unexpectedly, and some spend their whole life searching for it, this glittering evasive thread of love that joins so many lives together in so many wondrous ways. What does love feel like? Love feels like your heart is about to break and burst and burn to ashes, all at the same time. Love feels like the whole world is suddenly beautiful, and happy. Love feels like you can do anything and be anyone, except you don't have to—because this love is all that you need. Some people claim that you cannot live without breathing. I believe that just as equally, we cannot live without love. We will be alive, but not living, unless we are loved. Love fills your spirit like oxygen fills your lungs. Love feels like every single feeling—the joy that you have found it, the sorrow that so many do not know it, and that so many suffer trying to find it. The fear that you might lose it, the anger that you should have ever have had to live without it. The hope that it might transcend all else, and be forever. Love changes everything, and since you are a foremost part of your view of everything, it changes you. In love, we are inspired to become better people, live better lives, and better the lives of others. It transforms the way we see the world, and better allows us to see the beauty in everything and everyone. We can see others more clearly, and we can hear them speak to us without words. We treasure even more closely the touch of each breeze, and the warmth of each smile, because only now that we have experienced such a love do we truly begin to understand what real loss really is. We fear to lose love, and at the same time, we trust it not to desert us. Love is beauty in its purest and yet most complex form. It can be seen in everything in many ways; from a mother loving her child, to two lovers in love with each other, to the gardener tending so lovingly to his flowers and to nature, to the child who nurses a pet spider. Love never fails to surprise, never ceases to amaze, and never stops growing inside us. Love can never be broken, only sometimes forgotten. Love is always there for those who are willing to see it; it is not the love that is scary, only the fear that we may lose it, or that we may be hurt. We fear to give another person the ability to harm us, ad we can only do that by opening up our loving heart to them. Love, and you will know the meaning of infinity. Love, and you will know the secret of your soul

And as the moon slowly began to appear in the night sky, I bent down, and slowly whispered in her ear, "That is exactly how I feel about you."

After watching the sunset, Leah and I were whisked away toward the airport. Our destination: Fiji. I was more than excited for the trip; it was my first _real_ out-of-state, out-of-_country_ trip in my life. Better yet, I was going there with my _wife. _On our honeymoon. Life couldn't get any better than this. My life was finally becoming what it was destined to be. I knew, now, for sure, that I would be a father.

We were at the terminal now, staring out the darkness of the airport and into the night sky. The stars were twinkling, winking down at all of earth's inhabitants. Leah was leaning into my chest, her eyelids closed. It was almost midnight; our flight was about to board. The trip would take about 23 hours, but that is only plane time. We planned to arrive in Fiji on March 28th, so that gives us a little more than a day to arrive.

"Newlyweds?" A voice chimed in to my left. It was the local anchorman, Todd Boatwright. He was dressed in casual clothes, holding a single carry-on.

"Yes." I murmured, lightly kissing Leah on her crown before turning my attention back to him. "You're Todd Boatwright, KING 5 TV." He smiled and looked out the window.

"Yup, that's me."

"Where are you heading out to?"

"Japan. I need to find myself." He sighed, frowning, and looked back at me with a sheepish smile. "You don't know how much I envy what you have right now; a wife… a _family_. I was in love with a girl named Miranda. We had dated for seven years, and on our seven years, six months anniversary, I asked her to marry me. Unfortunately she didn't feel the same way. She was crying because she was confused; said she needed to think, some time alone, but I already knew that our seven years were gone. She was supposed to be the one…" He swiftly wiped the corner of his eye, and slowly brought his gaze back to me.

"I'm so sorry, man. I went through something similar… I was crazy, head-over-heels for a childhood friend, and she chose the man I hated most in this world. My true enemy. No matter how many times I attempted to convince her that I was better for her, _healthier _for her… she was blind and deaf to my words and actions. He even _left_ her once; she went into the deepest depression I've ever seen… she was literally withering away before my eyes. I comforted her—basically was her Band Aid—and just when I thought I had her, he came back. Then I moved on and I found Leah." Did he hear the way her name rolled off my tongue like a soft caress? Instinctually, I pulled her sleeping body closer to mine.

"Loves a funny thing, isn't it? It can cut you down, make you feel like the lowest of the low, but on the other hand, it makes you feel complete. That's what I see when I look at you and your wife. It almost hurts, to be honest. I just know that you'd never leave her side if she needed you, and that is what I need, what I hope, to find." He smiled again, but I saw the true pain behind them, and he picked up his briefcase.

"I should be going. My gate is boarding now. It was nice talking to you…"

"Jake. Jacob Black."

"It was nice meeting you, Jacob. I wish you and Leah the best."

"I hope you find her." I called after him.

A few moments later, the intercom came on, and our flight was called. Luggage in my left hand, and Leah in the other, we boarded our plane to paradise.


	5. Chapter 5: Honeymoon in Paradise

**Chapter 5:**

**A/N: So you guys have NO IDEA how stoked I am for you to read this chapter. I put so much thought and time into it, so I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! I will warn you there is sexual content in here, so be prepared! It's nothing intense, but it's there. Just a heads up :) P.S. The reviews make me smile every time, and I love them all. They're the best, and keep me going!**

I was on the plane ride from hell. During the entire duration of the flight, the imbecile of a child behind me kicked my seat the _entire_ 17 hours and 30 minutes to Sydney. Despite my acidic glares, the kid didn't stop; to make matters worse, his pathetic sidekick sniggered and egged him on further. On top of that, there were two infants on the plane, who cried, simultaneously, for more than half the flight. Needless to say, I nearly phased.

Leah was hissing warnings in my ear by the end of the flight, and all the passengers parted like the Red Sea when I walked by. By the looks on their faces, I most likely looked resembled the Hulk.

"I swear on my life, Leah, if we _ever _have kids, they _will not_ behave like that." I growled through gritted teeth as I briskly walked toward baggage claim. Leah had her elbow hooked through mine, and she was struggling to keep up.

"Slow down, babe. Our bags aren't going anywhere." She grumbled, softly stroking my arm in an attempt to calm me down.

"I'm a little irritated, _honey_. I want to get away from those mongrels called children before I rip one of their heads off."

"Our kids aren't going to be like that."

"What if they are? I won't be able to handle it! I won't do it."

"You're making a scene." She hissed.

We had reached the baggage claim now, and people were swarming around the luggage. I didn't want to have another encounter with those monsters, so I was eager to grab our bags and leave the airport.

"Wait here." I kissed her cheek and headed for the bags. She sighed but obliged, and leaned up against the glass windows overlooking the multiple runways. My size comes in handy when I'm in a crowd; people dispersed, naturally, as I approached the luggage, and I impatiently tapped my foot as I scanned the baggage. I wanted to get out of this God forsaken airport before those monsters showed up; I highly doubted I would have as much self-control as I did previously. They got lucky.

After about five minutes of waiting, our huge grey duffel scooted its way on the conveyor belt, and I lifted it off the belt with as much effort as picking up a feather. A man next to me struggled with his wife's colossal pink duffel, and I chuckled to myself. Leah was gazing out the window, the sunlight illuminating her entire face. The sunlight brought out the natural reds in her hair, and her face looked like that of an angel's.

"Hey, you ready?" I asked, slinging the duffel over my right shoulder and extending my left hand to her. She broke her gaze from the window, flashed me her beautiful, angelic smile, and nodded, taking my hand in hers. It was just in time, too, because Dumb and Dumbass had just rounded the corner, and were wrecking havoc left and right like little tornadoes of doom, their mother completely oblivious. Either that, or she was a pushover.

"Let's get out of here," I grumbled, glaring at one of them on the way out to the parking lot

A chauffer from the resort we would be staying at flagged us down a few minutes after we emerged from the airport. His name was Sterling; his skin was a sun-kissed caramel, and his hair was sandy-blonde with eyes bluer than the ocean. He was a tall and lanky man, but his face was round and juvenile.

"Mr. and Mrs. Black," he nodded his hello, "here, sir, let me take your bag." He extended his hand and I handed him our stuffed duffel. His arm buckled a bit under the weight, and I flashed him an apologetic smile before opening the car door for Leah and slipping in after her.

Sterling drove us to a helipad which would then transport us to Malolo Island Resort. Leah and I thanked him, gave him a small tip, and hopped into the Helicopter.

A few minutes after liftoff, Leah and I were gazing down at the breathtakingly beautiful blue waters of Fiji. The ocean was cobalt blue, slowly turning a cerulean as it approached the shore. The sand was whiter than flour, and dense, lush, green forests blanketed the various islands. In other words, I was ready to dive into those waters and snorkel in the reefs.

Once we landed at our Resort, two male workers from the resort took our luggage, loaded it into a gold cart, and transported us to our villa. It was tucked away in a small, secluded corner of the beach; Leah and I had specially requested one of the most private villas at the resort. Since we were both living at home prior to our wedding, we did not have much time to be alone while we were home. That, however, was all about to change.

"Thank you, Paulo." I called to the driver as they drove away. He gave me a cordial wave, and soon disappeared into the forest. Leah had already run inside, and was no doubt exploring every inch of the place. The exterior looked like your average hut; pointed, grass roof, white stucco on the outside with a winding trail which lead to a dock at the water. Our front doors were two enormous French-doors, with white privacy drapes covering the windows. With the duffel in my right hand, I opened the doors and revealed the inside of our villa.

The floor was entirely wood paneling. The front door opened directly into the living area; two couches, white and crème colored, were positioned around a mahogany coffee table adorned with candles and incents. Two wicker chairs were also perched across from the white couch, accented with white pillows. Straight ahead from the door, is a clear view of the ocean and our spa. The entire back half of the villa is glass windows, revealing the all ocean and bleach-white sand. Leah is standing on the doc that extends about 50 yards out from our spa. She had her hands on her hips as she admires the sunset, the sun just breaking over the horizon, casting every shade of magenta in the night sky. The waters have turned shades of indigo and purple, the clouds the color of a pink rose. I slowly make my way behind her, wrapping my arms around the front of her waist. She sighs into me, resting her head against my right shoulder.

"It is inconceivable how beautiful it is out here." She murmurs, mesmerized by all the natural beauty surrounding her.

"That's a lie. You're more beautiful than anything that I have ever, and will ever see, Leah. And I know you may not believe me or agree with me, but I'm being completely and one-hundred percent honest." Many men probably say that to their wives; that they're _the one_, but we all know that is a lie. Especially prominent when men cheat on their wives; but for me, I will never want anyone else in my entire existence. When I look at Leah, I still feel as if my heart is going to jump out of my chest, that my knees are going to turn to marshmallow spread, wild hornets swarming in the pit of my stomach. I still get the butterfly sensation when our gazes meet, when I hold her in my arms. Everything.

"This is why I'm in love with you." She whispers, and I can almost hear the smile in her voice. She slowly turns around, and tears have welled up in her eyes. One strays from the rest, slowly trickling down her cheek. I gently lean down, kissing her tear away, and enveloping her into me. She tightly wraps her arms around my mid-chest, rubbing her hands in small circles on my back. As the sun goes down, and the iridescent moon climbs to its peak in the sky, we break out embrace.

"I think we should check out the rest of the villa…most importantly the bedroom." She states, flashing me a seductive wink before quickly running back to the porch, her hair swishing behind her. A ripple of arousal vibrates through my body, and I chase after her, catching her at the porch, and lifting her up, twirling her around in a circle. Once her feet touch the ground, she grabs me face between her hands, pulling my face down. She lightly bights my bottom lip before forcing my mouth open with hers. Before I know it, her hands are knotted up in my hair, and her body is pressed up against mine as close as our clothes would allow it. My hands trail up and down her body and underneath her shirt. My left hand trails up and down her bare back while the other cups her chin. Our tongues move in synchronization as our lips whisper together. A small groan escapes her lips, and she slowly untangles her hands from my hair, and she trails her hand down the middle of my chest as she pulls away.

"I won't be able to control myself is we keep going. I don't want to get any complaints about sex in public." She teases, pecking my lips before quickly disappearing into the living room. I sigh heavily, taking a few moments to calm myself down before entering after her. Damn, she's seductive.

Our sweet is entirely white. I mean, _everything _is white. White tile, white walls, the bed frame is a deep mahogany with white comforter and accenting baby blue pillows. The bed is king sized—thank God—and one-third of the wall is entirely windows. Our bed is up against the east wall, looking out the window-wall to the beach. Our bathroom is on the west side of the room, and _wow_ is it a bathroom! When you first walk in, the first thing you see is a bowl-shaped Jacuzzi tub, large enough to probably fit Sam, Paul and myself in it, _comfortably_. Keeping things uniform, two all-glass doors are on the opposite side of the tub, once again revealing the ocean. The countertops are white marble, the floor a silvery tile. The walls are an earthy brown, marble-like in texture, with white Hibiscuses dancing along the entire wall. Bottle after bottle of name-brand shampoos, conditioners and body soap stack the table beside the tub, while candles hang from the walls. The shower is dual-headed, and probably the size of my bedroom at home, and comes complete with a _steam _setting.

"Well, I could get used to this." I mumble, tracing my finger along the entire length of our of our countertops, which is white marble. Not even a speck of dust. Unbelievable.

"This is insane. I can't believe how luxurious this is!" Leah's voice echoes from the shower.

"I can't believe how much my wallet is going to be hurting after this." I grumble as I open an _Aveda _bottle of shampoo.

"Honey, it'll be worth it." She replies as she emerges from the shower. "There's _a steam_ setting in there…who needs a sauna?"

"And there's a Jacuzzi tub. Like the one we have on the deck isn't enough," I tease.

"The bed is comfortable. And spacious." She comments, seemingly nonchalantly.

"It sure looks it. I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight."

"I highly doubt I'll be doing much sleeping tonight." She adds, walking behind me, trailing her finger from my right shoulder all the way to my left, leaving a trail of fire.

"Oh? Why not?" I smile, playing dumb.

"I guess you'll just have to figure that part out on your own." She whispers, gently pressing her lips against mine. The kiss begins softly, and just when I think I can control myself, Leah places a hand on the lower half of my stomach. Tingles vibrate through my body, and I can no longer contain myself. I groan, lifting Leah off the floor and onto the counter. She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer, knotting her hands in my hair. Her back is pressed up against the mirror, and every bottle of soap clatters to the tile floor.

"Oops," I mumble, pulling away to survey the damage. Leah lets out a throaty giggle, before turning my face back to hers.

"Babe, I think we should move." She looks around and shrugs.

"Yea, probably," she sighs, hopping off the counter. She glanced at the bottles on the floor, most likely debating whether she was going to pick them up or not, took my hand, and led me to the bedroom. The crispness of the comforter was soon wrinkled, the pillows being cast to the floor. We nearly knocked a lamp off of one of the bedside tables. Leah is sitting on my stomach, in only her bra and underwear. Silver moonlight pours in from the window behind her, casting shadows along her face. Despite the darkness, I can see a small glimmer in her eyes, and when she smiles, her teeth seem to glow.

"What are you staring at?" She whispers, leaning forward and resting her elbows on my chest, her face inches from mine.

"You."

"Clearly…I meant, why?"

"Leah," I sigh, "we've been through this. You're so beautiful…you make me nervous, yet I can't take my eyes off of you. You're quite alluring too."

"Well then," she murmurs, her lips brushing against mine as she speaks, "_what are you waiting for?_" Her lips hovered over mine for a few moments. As the anticipation built up, a small growl erupted from my chest. She grinned and sighed, and that's when I lost it. I rolled, Leah now beneath me, and ripped the small amount of clothes that stood in my way. I made passionate love, for the very first time, and to the woman of my dreams.

For once, I had finally done something right in my life; I had finally found my soul mate.

The next morning, I awoke with Leah snuggled up beside me, her head on my chest. Yellow morning light was streaming through the open window, and I could hear the waves crashing against the beach coast. The smell of salt and brine filled the air, and the subtle cawing of the gulls and seabirds created a mellow atmosphere.

Leah stirred then, and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw me, and snuggled even closer into my body.

"Morning beautiful," I whispered.

"Hmm, morning," she replied, sitting up, holding the white sheet to her chest. "What time is it?"

"About nine thirty," I replied, mid-yawn, and I groaned as I stretched my arm and shoulder muscles. "Not too early, not too late."

"Do you want to go walk on the beach?" Leah asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed dropping the sheet, and walking to the bathroom. I didn't answer at first, watching her. Leah's body is perfect; perfectly toned, muscular legs, a lean stomach, and the most beautiful, russet skin imaginable. She stopped in the threshold to the bathroom and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Keep your eyes to yourself," she teased, followed by a wink.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'm going to have to pass…" I replied wittily before I too got out of bed. Leah rolled her eyes and disappeared into the bathroom, with me following in suit. She was standing in front of the mirror, brushing out her hair. I came up behind her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, leaning up to kiss my cheek. "You never answered my question."

"Which one?"

"Do you want to go on a walk or not?"

"If you want to."

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that…it shouldn't always be all about me!"

"I want it to be; I want you to be happy."

"You're the most stubborn person on this planet." She threw up her hands as she said this, groaning.

"That's why you love me." I joked.

"No, that's why I'm _in love_ with you." She replied, lightly kissing my lips. "I'm going to go get dressed. You should too."

"Aw, I like you better _without_ your clothes on," I wrinkled my nose and frowned.

"Hm, well, you should see _plenty_ of me later tonight. You just wait and see."

"I'm holding you to that," I called after her as she disappeared into the closet.

After our walk on the beach, Leah and I went snorkeling in the coral reefs. By one o'clock, we were in a boat, racing into the big blue, the wind whipping through our hair. The boat ride would be an estimated twenty minutes, into one of Fiji's most popular reefs. Leah really hoped to see some spotted eagle rays, clownfish, clown triggerfish, and in her opinion, if we were lucky, a bull shark, and a great white. I, on the other hand, would settle for a simple angel fish. But Leah, of course, was an ambitious and brace warrior.

"I _really _hope we see some sharks; then I can brag _all _about it to Seth." She mused aloud as we neared our destination.

"I could go without the sharks," I replied, taking another sip of my water. Damn, this water really _was_ fresh.

"Aw, are you afraid it's going to gobble you up?" She teased, smirking.

"Oh yeah, Leah, because that's possible, right?" I retorted, rolling my eyes. She merely giggled and turned her attention back to the cerulean waters before us. Truth be told, I had always been deathly afraid of sharks when I was younger. Now I know that they could never hurt me, even if they wanted to. They'd shatter their teeth. However, I still may or may not be antsy in their presence.

"Okay, we're here." Our guide announced as the boat came to a stop. Leah sprang out of her chair, and quickly shimmied out of the white cover up she had over her bathing suit. She sported a coral two piece adorned with white hibiscuses. The color playfully blended well with her skin tone.

"Come on, Jake. I don't have all day," she winked before diving into the sea. Our guide, Keith, simple grinned at me.

"She's beautiful."

"She sure is; I don't know what I'd do without her." I replied, glancing into the water just as Leah's head popped back to the surface. The water was completely clear; explosions of color were all around the boat under the surface of the water. Schools of yellow and blue fish swarmed throughout the coral, a lone eel snaking its way through the middle.

"You know, some people are iridescent; and once you find them, no one will ever compare." He mused aloud, staring off into the sunlight.

"Are you married?"

"I was. Susan was incredible; I lost her to leukemia five years ago. To this day, I still cannot even look at another woman the same way I looked at her. No woman has, or will ever compare to her, and my heart is not capable of loving anyone other than her. The only thing that keeps me going, is knowing that I will be with her soon enough." He looked to the heavens as he said this, and a faint smile spread across his lips.

"I'm so sorry. That takes a lot of strength." A lump had formed in my throat, at just the mere thought of losing Leah. I would not be able to stand it.

"Don't be; I don't cry anymore. I smile when I think of her, because it reminds me of how lucky I am to have ever had her in the first place."

"Jake, are you coming? You've _got_ to get down here; it's absolutely breathtaking." Leah called from the water.

"Don't keep her waiting, sport. You never know how long you'll have with her." Keith urged, "have fun out there."

"Thanks," I replied. I walked to the edge of the boat, and Leah's face emerged from the surface of the water. She smiled, and the sun glinted off her teeth and almost blinded me; her face lighting up like an angel's. She beckoned for me to come forward. I didn't need to think twice; I quickly dove into the chilly waters.

These waters would normally be bone-chilling for most humans; most needed wetsuits. However, running an almost one-hundred and nine degree core body temperature came in handy. I looked around my surroundings; I was in a coral castle. Coral was all around me, a rocky landscape peppered with orange sea anemones, purple sea urchins, and species after species of aquatic plants.

Multiple families of clown fish loitered just on the outskirts of their protective anemones, while schools of angel fish flittered in and out of crevices in the coral, and through tunnels leading to other unseen parts of this aquatic wonderland. I saw Leah out of the corner of my eye, closely examining a small crab as it scuttled along the ocean floor. I quickly swam to her side, and together we continued our exploration of this underwater universe.

The next week, Leah and I did possibly everything under the sun; hiking in the forests, swimming with porpoises, dolphins, and some sting rays. Every night, we watched the sunset together, and rose to watch the sunrise, an early way to start our day. I made love to Leah almost every night, falling more in love with her every moment that I was with her—I was pretty pleased with myself for keeping one of my vows; it gave me hope that I would keep every single one of them, something I planned on doing.

Today, Leah just wanted to relax. It's seven o'clock, and the sun has just broken over the horizon, casting a million shades or orange, red, and pink, setting the clouds on fire. Streaks of purple and blue linger in the sky, remnants of what used to be the night sky. Our feet dangle into the water as we perch on the edge of the dock, and Leah is resting her head against my shoulder. She is wearing only a baby-blue, over-sized collared shirt, exposing the full lengthiness of her legs.

"What do you want to do today?" I whisper, wrapping my arm tighter around her waist.

"Hmm, I want to just relax today. We only have two more days here, but I'm almost positive we've walked or swam every inch of this place." She yawned, snuggling into my neck.

"You can go back to sleep if you want; I don't want you to be worn out."

"No, I'll live. Going to sleep only means less time I can spend with you. You sleep, I sleep. If you're awake, I'm awake." She murmured, sighing into my neck.

The sun was now halfway risen now, and the sky was a canary yellow

"If you insist," I replied, kissing her crown.

Today, Leah went to the spa. She got the full package, whatever that consisted of. She was gone for a good four hours before she returned, completely relaxed and rejuvenated. Luckily for me, she was extremely aroused. Needless to say, our once crisply made bed, and spotless bedroom was now ransacked and overturned.

"I never want to leave here," she groggily mumbled, her head on my chest. I could feel her heartbeat on my stomach, slow and steady.

"Me neither; this is so much better than reality."

"If only life was _really_ like this; no work, no school, no pack… just me and you. That's all that we would really need."

"Hm," I smiled at the thought. "I do miss Seth, though."

"Of course you do." She rolled her eyes, and propped herself up on my chest with her elbows. "You don't know how easy things have been since you and Seth get along. Seth and Travis _never_ got along; I probably should have listened to Seth when he told me Travis was an ass…but _no_. I had to be the stubborn, know-it-all, bitch of a big sister. Turns out Seth was right in the end, huh?" She massaged her temples and sighed.

Travis was Leah's boyfriend after Sam. They had dated for about five months, before he broke up with her for another girl, which most likely contributed to Leah's bitterness. Thankfully she changed, because we probably would never be where we are today had she not.

"Leah, I'm curious about something."

"Hm, what about?"

"Well…what was the _real_ reason that said we should get married? Was it really because of the bloodline thing, or was that just a cover up?" I raised my eyebrow, and smirked. If that was a cover up, then damn she's good.

She smiled before responding.

"Well, it was a cover up. Jake, I've been in love with you since we had to start protecting Bella from Victoria. I don't know what it was—I was just _drawn_ to you. And the way that you watched over Bella and how much you cared about her and would do _anything_ for her…I wanted that. And you're hilarious, and passionate; you're a leader, and well quite honestly, you're so attractive Jake. It was all just…what I wanted. You were the ideal man I saw myself marrying. But she was in the way; which is why I hated her. And she put you in danger more times than I can count on my hands. I mean, why do you think I was so _angry_ when you let that newborn pulverize your bones?" She winced at the memory. "I had to be an idiot and tried to take him on my own, and you came and rescued me, but at a cost your safety." She bit her lip and frowned.

"Hey," I murmured, softly kissing her lips, "don't think I regret getting the whole right side of my body broken for you. I would do it over again for you, tenfold. I didn't even have a second thought about helping you, Leah. Don't beat yourself up over it." I kissed her again, and she sighed, twisting her fingers into my hair.

"I love you," I whispered against her lips. She groaned, hitching her leg up around my waist.

"Ready for another round?" She growled, trailing her hand down my chest.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Later that day, Leah and I went kayaking. A natural spring snaked its way through the jungle which surrounded our resort, and we spent hours marveling at the sheer beauty that was bestowed upon this utopia of an island. Leah took picture after picture—we definitely accumulated enough pictures over these past 6 days to make more than two photo albums. Watching her gasp as she gazed into the canopy of trees above, the yellow light from the sun streaming through the leaves, illuminating her face like an angels made my heart melt into my ribs. I felt like a teenager again.

At the end of the stream, the jungle opened up into a large cove, with the tiniest yet majestic waterfall. The water was bluer than a glacier, and clearer than pool water. Leah immediately ripped off her tank top and shorts and plunged into the water. Despite my body heat, the water was like icicles stabbing into my arms as stray droplets pelted my body from her splash.

"Holy mother it's cold," She gasped when her head broke the surface.

"Oh please, don't be such a baby." I teased, winking.

"Then why don't _you_ get in here?" She replied, reeling back her hand and splashing a bucket of water onto me.

"If you insist…Cowabunga!" I bellowed as I launched myself from the boat, flipped midair, and landed in a cannon ball right next to Leah. The moment my toes hit the water, I knew I'd made a mistake. The temperature of the water bit at my legs and joints as soon as I was submerged, and I quickly kicked my way to the surface of the water, desperate for some sunshine.

"Pretty sure I just flew out of the water," she teased, immediately swimming to my side, kissing my cheek.

"It _really is_ cold in here." I said through gritted teeth.

"Aw, it gets better. But I can't help but say I told you so." She smiled in spite of her wittiness, and turned to swim towards the waterfall. I followed in suit, and aided her as she climbed up onto the rock base of the fall, quickly disappearing behind the wall of water. I hoisted myself up on the ledge with ease, and stepped through the water, and into the mouth of a small cave.

Leah was nowhere to be seen.

"Lee?" I called, my voice bouncing off the walls in an echo. I knew she was hiding; she wanted me to come find her. "Ready or not, here I come." I whispered, smiling to myself. The cave snaked to the left, and I cautiously made my way along the cave, trailing my hand along the right side of the wall. I had taken maybe about twenty steps, when I felt her presence:

"Found you," I murmured. She sighed and stepped into my path, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing my lips to hers. She knotted her fingers in my hair, turning the kiss into a passionate and fiery embrace. Her hands were everywhere; my hair, neck, and chest, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. Her tongue tickled the top of my mouth, and she groaned when I pressed her against the wall, her body rubbing against mine. My hands were all over her; her cheeks, neck, and lower back.

"Jake," she sighed, hoisting herself up on the wall, wrapping her legs around my waist. I couldn't contain myself any longer. I groaned, ripping her tank top from her body, and casting it to the floor. A small growl escaped her lips, which were soon crushing against mine. Her arms feasted over my bare chest, and a small groan escaped my lips as she kissed the nape of my neck.

"Here? Are you sure?" I whispered against her lips.

"I don't care where; _just now._"

And with that, I ripped the remaining clothes from Leah's body, claiming her for my own.

All but too soon, our honeymoon was over. Leah and I hiked or swam the entire area of our resort, and even found time to use the spa in the short eight days that we were there. Leah and I made love every night; an accomplishment that every man wants to achieve. That being said, however, Leah and I fell more in love with each other with each passing day.

Neither of us are ready to get back to our regular schedules once we're home. College is _not_ something both of us are looking forward too—mostly because of the extra responsibilities that it will bring. Studying, going to classes, and _lots_ of reading. Keeping up with the pack might be a strain, but knowing that I will have the love of my life by my side throughout it all, makes it all worth it in the end.

I cannot wait to start a family with Leah; I can just imagining our children running around in the forest behind a house we'll buy in La Push. It's beautiful.

As Leah rests her head on my shoulder and the plane takes off from Australia, I can feel the new segment of my life beginning. Leah and I are now forever molded together in life, and I'm never turning back.


End file.
